Harrow



-. 1 UNITED fPAfTENTOFFIc GEORGE sTE PHEjI-vs, on MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

I HARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,233, dated June 6, 1882.

' Application-filed Mareh27,1882.- (Model.)

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE STEPHENS, of Moline,in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have in vented certain Improvements in Harrows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of pivot-- the tooth and connecting the same totheframe.

To this end the invention consists in a toothsupporting plate provided on the front witha slot to receive the tooth and in the back with Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a tooth secured by my improved device to a harrow beam-or frame.

front and the latter the rear face of the plate. Fig. 5 .is a vertical section, showing the manner in which the parts are constructed to swing the tooth laterally with'relation-tof the beam, .in order that it may be maintained in line with the movement of the machine. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the beam and the tooth, with the latter inrits inclined position. v

Referring to the drawings, A represents-the beam or frame of the harrow, preferably made of wood; B, the tooth; G, the rotary supporting-platc, in which the tooth is mounted, and D the bolt. As shown in the drawings, the plate 0 is made of circular form, with a groove, a, extending transversely across its face to receive the upper end of the tooth, which will fit closely therein, the groove having an inclination away from the back face as it descends. Through the plate, from front to rear, a hole, b, is made to'receive the supporting-bolt, this hole lying near or cutting into one side of the Fig. 2 is a horizontal oross-' 'sectiomthrough the same on the line as x. Figs. 3 and '4 are perspective views of the tooth-supporting plate detached, the former showing the centrically in the plate. In its rear side the plate is provided with two curved slots, 0 and d, designed to admit the stop-pins by which the rotation of the-plate is limited. Owing to the factthat the pivot-hole is located eccentrically, the slots 0- and d, which lie near the pose of causing the tooth to coincide with the line ofdraft, both when in a vertical and in an iuclined position. As those familiar with the art are aware, the beams or frame-bars of harrows are ordinarily arranged obliquely or at a horizontal angle to the line of draft. If, therefore, the teeth were arranged in a plane parallel with the back ofthe plate, so as to swingin a plane parallel with the face of the beam, they would, when tipped backward, stand laterally at an inclination to the line of travel.

By'giving'the groove and tooth the inclination described in relation to the back of the plate,the

tooth is caused in action to swin gin a vertical plane oblique to the face of the beam, butin line with the line of travel.

groove to, and being consequently located ee- The plate constructedas above described is mounted on one end of the bolt D, which latter is passed horizontally through the beam or frame, preferably from the rear side, as shown. The tooth is then seated in the grooved face of the plate, its outer surface lying flush with or extending but little beyond the face of the plate. On theforward end of thejbolt-Imount a plate or washer, G, bearing against its face and overlying the face of the; to0i1 and outside of this .washer I apply to the bolt a nut, E, byturnin g which the washer maybe forced strongly against the faces of the plate and tooth, the tooth forced snugly to its seat, and the plate forced snugly against the beam. The bolt thus applied serves to retain the parts in their proper relative position and to prevent the tooth from sliding vertically by accident, but at the same time serves as a pivot around which the plate and tooth may swing to a limited extent. The motion of the plate is limited and the operative position of the tooth determined by means of two studs or pins, F, seated rigidly in the beam and projecting beyond its face into the stop-grooves c and d in the back of the plate, as clearly represented in Fig. 2. These pins are so located with reference to the stop-grooves that when the harrow is drawn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 6 the tooth will assume an upright position; but when the harrow is drawn inthe opposite direction the tooth will assume a backwardly-inclined position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is manifest that the tooth may be made of any suitable form in cross-section, although a rectangular form is preferred, and that the groove may be made to correspond in form with the tooth.

It is also manifest that the bolt D may be inserted through the beam and plate in the opposite direction, if preferred, in which case the head of the bolt may be made of large size and the washer G dispensed with. In fact, the washer may be dispensed with under the arrangement represented in Fig. 2, although its use is preferred.

If desired, three or more stop-pins or grooves may be employed, or one of the pins shown omitted and the single pin employed to limit the motion of the plate.

While it is preferred to make the .plate of circular form, as shown, it is manifest that the external form or configuration is not an essential part of the invention, and is susceptible of being modified greatly without changing the action of the parts.

It is also manifest thatthestop-grooves may be made in the form of open slots or of shoulders extending through the plate from front to rear; but it is preferred to retain the construction shown, for the reason that the parts are protected from the entrance of earth and other foreign matters.

I am aware that a stationary plate designed to support a harrow-tooth has been provided with a series of seats to receive the tooth, said seats being arranged at difl'erent inclinations with respect to the back of the plate, so that the lateral inclination of the tooth could be varied by changing it from one to another of 'the' seats; but I believe myself to be the first to provide a rotating plate on an oblique beam with a seat inclined laterally in relation to the back of the plate, whereby the tooth is permitted to swing automatically and retained at all times in the line of draft. This construction avoids the necessity of providing more than one seat for the tooth, and also the trouble and delay of changing the tooth from one seat to another.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a supporting-plate for a barrow-tooth provided with the transverse groove, the pivot-hole, and the stop groove or grooves in the back.

2. In combination with the beam or support, the pivot-bolt, the stop-pins, the tooth, and the tooth-supportin g plate, provided with a groove to receive the tooth, and with the grooves or shoulders to co-operate with the stop-pins.

3. In a harrow, the combination of apivoted tooth-supporting plate and the stop-pins to limit the motion ofsaid plate, having their ends covered and concealed thereby, substantially as shown.

4. In a harrow, the combination of a harrowtooth, a rotary tooth-supporting plate, and a straight pivot-bolt passing through the plate by the side of the tooth, and provided with a head or washer bearing directly upon the face of thetooth, as described and shown.

5. The combination, with the beam and the stationary stop-pins thereon, of the free rotary plate provided with a tooth-receiving groove, and with shoulders permitting a limited rotary motion to the plate, and co-operatin g with the stops, the pivot-bolt, and the plate or washer.

6. In a. harrow, the beam A, inclined horizontall y in relation to the line of travel, in combination with the plate pivoted to and having a free rotary motion to a limited extent upon the beam, said plate provided with the single tooth-receiving groove inclined sidewise in relation to the face of the plate, as set forth, whereby the tooth is permitted to swing forward and backward, but retained at all times in the line of draft.

7. In combination with a swinging harrowtooth, a sustaining-plate located between the tooth and the beam or frame, a second plate located on the opposite or outer side of the tooth, and a clamping-bolt passed through the two plates past one side of the tooth, and serving to sustain the parts in place.

8. In a harrow, the combination of two plates, a tooth seated between said plates, and a bolt passed through the two plates and securing the same to a beam or frame.

GEORGE STEPHENS.

Witnesses FRANK SMITH, EUGENE Lnwrs. 

